The new Sky Arts special Tea With Judi Dench Featuring Sir Ian McKellen offers an hour of two beloved British acting icons sharing cake and reminiscing, a gentle celebration that proves both moving and humorous. The 91-year-old Dench hosts the 87-year-old McKellen at her 15th-century home in Surrey, where they discuss careers, friendship, and mortality over tea and parkin cake.
A Meeting of Icons
McKellen, referred to as “Serena” by friends, navigates the “treacherous” pavement to Dench’s fairytale cottage, which is described as “cosy and sparkling” as its owner. He arrives with two lumps of parkin cake—one from Yorkshire, Dench’s home county, and one from Lancashire, reflecting McKellen’s Burnley roots (he also lived in Wigan and Bolton).
The conversation begins with McKellen’s childhood: seeing Peter Pan at age three, falling in love with pantomime, and admiring local professional actors. In 1958, he won a scholarship to Cambridge University, where he met fellow theatre enthusiasts including Trevor Nunn, Corin Redgrave, Derek Jacobi, Miriam Margolyes, and Clive Swift. McKellen recalls thinking, “if Derek Jacobi can do it …” with a devilish twist of his lips that prompts Dench’s throaty giggle—a moment the review suggests should be added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list.
Friendship and Memories
While some of McKellen’s Cambridge peers went to drama school, he chose to start earning immediately, performing in regional theatre. He and Dench first became friends at Oxford Playhouse, appearing together with Ian McShane in a 1967 production of The Promise. They share actorly anecdotes, including a time Dench helped McKellen overcome stage fright during a George Bernard Shaw play. “It’s nice that you don’t remember it,” he says. “Just an actor helping another actor out, which is what we do, isn’t it, at best?”
The pair also discuss whether it’s better to have friends in the audience, and how performances can shift when directed toward a critic like Peter Brook or an actor like Laurence Olivier in the stalls. They sigh over younger performers who rely on microphones instead of projecting naturally.
Mortality and Legacy
McKellen admits he thinks about death “every day,” while Dench says she banishes the thought firmly. She reflects on her life “with a little bit of everything—but mainly thinking about how lucky I’ve been.”
The show includes clips of their acting careers, especially McKellen’s, from his famous roles as Gandalf and Magneto (“Lovely jobs”) to lesser-known stage work like Edward II, Coriolanus, and Max in Bent. A highlight is footage of the pair as the Macbeths in Trevor Nunn’s minimalist 1976 RSC production, filmed by Philip Casson for Thames Television in 1978. McKellen notes the set and costumes cost just £250, and a clergyman attended multiple performances holding up a crucifix—McKellen thought it was to protect them, but Dench suggests it was to protect himself. “Ooh,” says McKellen, revealing a sweet optimism that deflates gently.
Activism and Tears
The special also touches on McKellen’s gay rights activism, including his eloquent 1988 appearance on Wogan explaining the ramifications of Section 28. A more poignant moment comes when he recalls a letter his father wrote on his 21st birthday, hinting that Ian could tell him anything. Both parents died before McKellen came out, and he wonders what might have been. He reads Armistead Maupin’s Letter to Mama, prompting what the review calls “thunderous tears.”
While some viewers might wish for a “Drink With” format for more anecdotes—though McKellen no longer drinks, to Dench’s apparent shock—the show’s gentle reflection on lives well lived and contentment gained proves sufficient. Tea With Judi Dench Featuring Sir Ian McKellen aired on Sky Arts and is available on Now.
